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Raising The Bar\_ A Story of Perseverance
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03/28/2014
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{\i This article originally appeared in the March 28 Dordt Diamond}.\~
{\i Read more Diamond stories at} The Diamond
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{\b By: Sam Ekstrom, Dordt College Sports Information Student Assistant}
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Junior Nate \'46orseth has a prominent name around Dordt\uc1\u8217?s
campus. After all, his father, Eric \'46orseth, was hired as the new
provost last May.
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What\uc1\u8217?s not to be overlooked is that the younger \'46orseth
has a remarkable story of his own.
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Nate \'46orseth is the newest first baseman, clean\_up hitter and
starting pitcher on the Defenders\uc1\u8217? baseball team. The 20\_year\_old
transferred to Dordt from Division II Northwest Nazarene University
(Idaho) when his father accepted the job as Dorst\uc1\u8217?s provost.
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But \'46orseth\uc1\u8217?s journey to play college baseball is what
sets him apart.
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In high school, \'46orseth dealt with a condition that threatened
his entire playing career: pectus excavatum.
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\uc1\u8220?I would get out of breath when I wouldn\uc1\u8217?t even
be doing anything,\uc1\u8221? said \'46orseth. \uc1\u8220?I couldn\uc1\u8217?t
breathe while just sitting around, and if I would play athletics,
it got even worse.\uc1\u8221?
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\'46orseth\uc1\u8217?s sternum and backbone were growing too closely
together, restricting the growth and function of his heart and lungs.
As a high school sophomore, \'46orseth underwent major surgery to
get a curved bar inserted into his chest that would correct the condition.
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It took one month for \'46orseth to start walking again following
the operation and three months to resume playing. While sidelined,
\'46orseth had to sit back and watch his Nampa Christian High School
baseball team win a state championship.
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\'46orseth\uc1\u8217?s inactivity also caused his weight to drop.
\'46orseth \uc1\u8211? currently 6\_foot\_7 and 205 pounds \uc1\u8211?
weighed in at 150 pounds after surgery.
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\uc1\u8220?That was by far the most painful thing I\uc1\u8217?ve ever
been through,\uc1\u8221? said \'46orseth.
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Then the hard work began. \'46orseth played his final two years of
high school baseball with a bar firmly planted inside his torso. He
worked hard with his coaches to reinvent himself as a pitcher.
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\uc1\u8220?A lot of people worked with me to get back to some semblance
of a normal throwing motion,\uc1\u8221? \'46orseth said. \uc1\u8220?[It
took] a lot of hard work; a lot of support from friends and family
and coaches.\uc1\u8221?
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\'46orseth\uc1\u8217?s biggest asset is his height. The former high
school basketball player towers over hitters as he stands on the mound
and has a much higher release point than the average pitcher.
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Couple that with some sneaky finesse and you can understand why \'46orseth
had a 1.50 ERA during his sophomore season at Northwest Nazarene.
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\uc1\u8220?I try to rely a lot on deception,\uc1\u8221? said \'46orseth.
\uc1\u8220?A lot of off\_speed pitches, keeping guys off balance,
throwing strikes, getting ahead in counts; really simple things that
are important.\uc1\u8221?
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Now a Dordt Defender, \'46orseth has the opportunity to be in the
every\_day line\_up as a position player when he is not toeing the
mound. It\uc1\u8217?s a role that he enjoys.
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\uc1\u8220?I like being able to interact with the guys more at first
base,\uc1\u8221? said \'46orseth. \uc1\u8220?Being a position player,
I\uc1\u8217?m in the lineup more often; more of an impact player.\uc1\u8221?
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During a March 10 game in Tucson, Ariz., \'46orseth suffered a pulled
hamstring that forced him to miss time. Head coach Jeff Schouten reports
that \'46orseth expects to be back for the March 28 conference opener.
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Schouten says the team is excited to have \'46orseth back.
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\uc1\u8220?His versatility is a great asset for us,\uc1\u8221? said
Schouten. \uc1\u8220?He has been a great addition.\~ He fits in well
with the team and will help us on the field.\uc1\u8221?
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As for \'46orseth, he says his current ailment pales in comparison
to what he dealt with in high school.
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\uc1\u8220?At the end of the day, it\uc1\u8217?s not that big a deal,\uc1\u8221?
said \'46orseth. \uc1\u8220?You can still work hard and still come
back from it.\uc1\u8221?
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\uc1\u8220?[My high school experience] put a lot of things in perspective,\uc1\u8221?
\'46orseth continued. \uc1\u8220?You realize that the world doesn\uc1\u8217?t
revolve around baseball. It doesn\uc1\u8217?t revolve around academics.
It revolves around relationships with people, with friends, with family.\uc1\u8221?\line
\~
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}